


Calm Moments

by Jangl3



Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Blood, Burns, F/F, Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood Spoilers, Fire, Flirting
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-16
Updated: 2020-12-26
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:21:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,408
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25934332
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jangl3/pseuds/Jangl3
Summary: Sadu and the Warrior of Light explore their feelings and take comfort in one anothervery self-indulgent, soft and sappy b/c i wrote it for myself but there needs to be more sadu and wlw content so here u go :)Chapter 1 and 2 are both very tame and sappy, chapter 3 has some fighting in it
Relationships: Sadu Dotharl/Warrior of Light
Comments: 3
Kudos: 17





	1. The Khatun and the Khagan

The xaela’s staff fell to the ground, her breathing heavy as she managed to stumble back up to her feet a moment later. “Never have I felt such bliss in defeat!” Sadu exclaimed, her breathing heavy, an excited grin upon her face.

“Perhaps you’d like to experience that bliss elsewhere, dear?” retorted the viera, towering over the xaela, a solid two feet taller than her. 

The dotharl quickly grasped upon the flirt, pausing to consider the proposition. “Perhaps I would. You’ve impressed me, khagan.” Her grin grew, and she closed the distance between the two, reaching up a hand to place it upon the bare skin on Vensylle’s abdomen that was revealed by her open coat.

A husky and exasperated sigh sounded from behind Vensylle. “Gods, you’re as bad as Thancred. Need I remind you that we have not the time for this?” 

Vensylle turned to regard Y’shtola with a shrug of her broad shoulders, a small smirk still upon her lips. “The rest of you may not have the time. I fail to see how I don’t.” Y’shtola opened her mouth to retort, but the tall viera continued on before she could interrupt her. “I’m of no help with raising that barrier in The Burn, so I won’t be needed until the meeting in Ala Mhigo, which isn’t for some time, correct?” Vensylle knew Y’shtola well enough to understand that she was almost as stubborn as she herself was, so she expected something of an argument. Not that she would have let Y’shtola stop her in any case, but they had been through much together. It was better to explain her reasoning than to have the miqo’te woman perceive the great Warrior of Light as to be dismissing her duties, even if she did crave a well-deserved break.

Y’shtola crossed her arms, giving a defeated shake of her head. “I am not your mother - and since you seemingly care not about making such a show of yourself in front of our new allies - do as you will. You had best not miss the meeting though.” There was definite irritation behind her voice, more so than Vensylle had thought there would be - if it had been Thancred making such a proposition, she thought the miqo’te would have just been slightly annoyed, perhaps even vaguely amused. “Come Hien, -we- yet have work to do.” She motioned the man and turned without a word, striding off towards the foothills to the north. The leader of Doma simply raised his eyebrows at Vensylle, though a slight smile tugged at his lips, and he mouthed ‘good luck,’ before he turned to follow the miqo’te.

Thus relieved of her allies, the viera turned a simmering look back down at the xaela. “To your yurt then, little one?” Vensylle teased.

“Careful khagan, I’ve still the strength left to singe you,” she retorted, though the pair had just had a number of bouts to secure the allegiance of the Dotharl - and Vensylle had triumphed in every single one. Sadu was putting on a brave face, but she could scarcely stand from the thrashing she had received. 

“You’d best save your strength, or I’ll be carrying you back to camp. What will the Dotharl think of their khatun then?” 

Sadu scoffed, but she knew the viera was right. The xaela looked over her shoulder to try and catch a glimpse of Magnai’s undoubtedly hilarious expression but their flirting had already driven him off, the Oronir striding off back towards the Dawn Throne - but he could still be seen shaking his head in disbelief. The Dotharl let out a short bark of a laugh at that sight. “The mighty Magnai frightened by two women flirting...it’s no wonder he can never find his Nhaama. For who would want to be his?” She let out another laugh, and Vensylle snickered along with her before turning her attention completely towards Sadu, looking her over with some concern. Her garb did little to hide her wounds, but she seemed largely unbothered.

“As long as my blood flows, my body will obey me, khagan,” she stated as she noticed the viera’s gaze. “There is no need to worry yourself,” she added in a softer tone, one that Vensylle had longed to hear. She took her hand off of the larger woman and began to walk back towards her tribe’s camp without a word. Vensylle followed just behind her, watching her carefully in case her wounds were more serious than she made them out to be - which they certainly were, but still the Dotharl moved without complaint. 

They walked most of the way in silence, but Vensylle still could not help but tease the xaela as they neared the encampment. “And what will your tribe think of their khatun being seen alone and in close company with one who is not of the Steppe?”

Sadu didn’t break her stride, nor look back at the viera. “What of it? Many saw you fight in the Naadam, and tales of your strength have only spread since then. The only thing some of them may feel is jealousy.” A hint of mirth crept into her voice then, and Vensylle smirked, contenting herself with that thought until they reached Dotharl Khaa. 

A few of the Dotharl did indeed look over the pair with curious glances as they headed towards the largest yurt in the settlement, which belonged to Sadu naturally. The khatun paid them little mind as she pushed the flap aside and entered her abode, with Vensylle following after her.

The viera had never had the privilege of being within Sadu’s yurt before, and it was as humble a living quarters as one might have expected from a Dotharl - a simple yet large and comfortable-looking bedroll lay on one end of the structure, various weapons were hung on the walls, and a small desk and chair were tucked away in one corner, dusty from disuse. Sadu immediately sat down on her bedroll, trying to catch her breath - her wounds weren’t mortal, but they weren’t anything to sneeze at either. Her toned body was covered in slashes and bruises from her bouts with the Warrior of Light - Sadu was never one to hold back, so Vensylle hadn’t had much of a chance to go easy on her. The viera stepped over to her, sitting down beside the xaela and showing a small smile. “I can help a little with those, if you’ll allow me.”

Sadu regarded Vensylle, her intense aqua-coloured eyes meeting the viera’s hazels. “Were it anyone else who had just bested me I would refuse, as my wounds serve as a reminder for me to grow stronger...but your strength seems almost insurmountable, Vensylle, and you were the one who inflicted these wounds in the first place. So I will accept. Don’t overly worry yourself about our battle though - I learned much, and would have been insulted if you had held back.” 

The viera blinked. That was the first time Sadu had actually used her name, rather than just addressing her as khagan. “I thought as much. And if I had held back I might have been the one with those wounds. Now hold still for me…” She placed her calloused hands on the middle of Sadu’s back, taking a moment before a soft green glow enveloped the xaela, her wounds slowly mending. Healing wasn’t Vensylle’s strong suit - she wouldn’t have been able to mend any grievous wounds, nor dispel the effects of malicious magick, but small injuries of a physical nature she could help with, though the effect was still slow. “This might take a while. I’m afraid I’m much better at inflicting wounds than I am at healing them,” she added with a slight chuckle.

The Dotharl didn’t seem to mind, even letting herself relax back against the viera’s hands, leaning her head back to look up at her. Vensylle had seen the xaela grin and smirk before, but the calm and relaxed smile shown on her face now was new to her eyes, and her heart beat faster at the sight of it, the tips of her tall rabbit-like ears drooping ever so slightly, betraying her emotions to those who knew to look for the telling sign. Thankfully Sadu didn’t. “It’s a pleasant feeling - but tell me. Just how did you get so strong?”

It wasn’t something Vensylle thought on often, but despite having the looks of a woman in her early twenties the viera was closer to sixty, and such questions sent her thoughts hurtling back to the past, distracting her enough that the healing glow around her hands eventually faded. Sadu was quick to notice that she had sent Vensylle’s thoughts elsewhere, and shifted herself around to face the taller woman, lightly placing a hand on her shoulder to bring her out of her reverie. 

“There’s no one thing I can tell you, except that I would not be who I am today were it not for all the people who have helped me along the way, the people who believed in me, fought with me...the people who I watched die by my side.”

She met Sadu’s gaze again but quickly turned away, somewhat embarrassed at having shared such a thing with a woman she didn’t yet know well. She was usually good at burying that vulnerable side of herself. She felt a hand upon her cheek then, and Sadu firmly yet gently guided her head until she was looking back at the Dotharl. “Why do you look away, khagan? There is nothing to be ashamed of. I also would not be who I am if my tribe had not helped me through training, through telling me tales of my strength in my past lives, and yes, through dying. You know we Dotharl do not fear death, yes? It is but a door that our souls pass through, but ever do they find their way back to us and begin anew...though, I know that’s not the case outside of my tribe.”

Vensylle did indeed know of the Dotharl’s beliefs. “...Yes. I can’t say I’ve ever seen it myself.” She reached her arms out, placing her hands upon both of Sadu’s shoulders as she resumed her healing efforts.

“Hm,” the xaela mused, her hand still upon Vensylle’s face. She peered closer at her, causing Ven’s ears to flitter once more. “You do not show it, but you are old. I’m sure you’ve been through much hardship, and although your companions have not begun anew as they do for we Dotharl, their souls are still with you, Vensylle. The strength that they had in life now flows through you - this I know, for your soul shines brightest out of any I have ever seen.”

Vensylle was momentarily taken aback - it was very rare for someone to guess her age. All she had seen of Sadu so far had been her eagerness to fight and the value she placed on strength - she hadn’t expected the khatun to be so insightful or perceptive.

“That...I have no words to refute that,” Vensylle fumbled. The idea that her allies, friends, and family that she had lost were still with her had caught her very much off balance, for it rang true at least in one sense or another, and it once again caused the Warrior of Light to get caught up in her own thoughts.

Sadu brought her out of them once again with a surprisingly gentle kiss to her lips. “I see you, khagan. We are alike. We are strong, and display that strength to others so that they may take comfort in it. But we need not do that here. I know not what you have been through, nor am I asking you to lay yourself bare before me...well. Not your thoughts anyway,” she added with a small smirk before continuing. “But it’s just us here, and I already know your measure. You don’t have to show your strength for me, and it would be wise to take the time you have to relax. I am sure you have more hardship ahead.”

With that she leaned away, leaving the Warrior of Light more off-balance than she had been for years, her leporine ears having shifted down to stick out horizontally away from her head, a clear sign of how flustered she was . The glow from Vensylle’s healing magick faded once more, the xaela’s wounds now well diminished. 

“And to think it was -you- who was the first to flirt with me...I’m glad you did though. My intent was not to fluster you, but it is a very cute sight,” Sadu teased lightly, flashing her sharp teeth. “Truthfully though...you are one of the few people I feel I can relax around. That may sound strange but even if I don’t know you well yet, I can trust in your strength. That’s a rare thing for me.” She lay back then, resting her head in Vensylle’s lap as she held up her arms in front of her, beginning to remove the various bangles and cloth adornments that she wore.   
Vensylle smiled down at her, stroking her long white hair. “I confess, I didn’t expect you to be like...like this. I’ve only ever seen you on the battlefield before - it’s a pleasant surprise though. And since you’re being so candid, I will too...I’ve had - and still have - a big crush on you. I have since I first laid eyes on you, and it’s only deepened now that you’ve shown me more of yourself.” She let out a heavy sigh. “But you know I can’t stay for long. There are always people that need me... I’ll take what time I can though. Gods know I deserve a break.”

She reached her hand forward, grasping Sadu’s smaller one and offering an affectionate squeeze. The khatun returned the action, settling herself more comfortably into Vensylle’s lap and showing a warm smile. “I think I need a nap before anything though - you really did test me in that fight.” Their quiet, intermingled laughter drifted out of the khatun’s yurt, and the pair of them did not emerge for a long while.


	2. Uncertainty

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set just before 5.0 (after Ghimlyt Dark) so spoilers for all that

The sound of Vensylle’s yol cut through the quiet night sky above Dotharl Khaa, the few dotharl who were awake gazing up towards the dark shape. The bird flew down at a rather fast speed, alighting just a few paces outside the village. The Warrior of Light herself climbed off of the yol, clad all in black as she often was. She hurried to Sadu’s tent, not bothering to announce herself before she slipped inside. The hour was late, and she didn’t expect the khatun to be awake. Indeed she wasn’t, the usually fiery xaela sleeping soundly instead. Vensylle smiled fondly at the sight, removing her boots before quietly stepping over and sitting down beside her girlfriend’s bedroll. She looked peaceful and serene while asleep, and Vensylle didn’t know how long she watched her. The next thing she knew she was face down atop Sadu’s chest, apparently having dozed off herself. 

“...khagan?” Sadu mumbled, the impact of Vensylle’s head having awoken her too. She chuckled quietly at the sight of the viera slumped over with her head resting on top of her chest. “What are you doing, you dummy? You know the bedroll is big enough for the both of us.”

Vensylle sighed, lifting her head up and awkwardly smiling down at Sadu. “I didn’t want to wake you. You looked so peaceful...but I guess I fell asleep myself.” She grinned sheepishly before properly laying herself down beside her lover.

Sadu smiled warmly before briefly peering through a small gap at the flap of the tent, seeing that it was still dark outside. “What time is it? This is a strange hour to come calling, my starlight.” She looked over Vensylle, seeing deep worry barely suppressed upon her face, and decided against making a joke. “Is something the matter? I mean, I know what happened to the Scions, but is there something else?”

Vensylle just wrapped her arms around the au ra, burying her head against the top of her chest for a long moment. Sadu returned the hug, planting a kiss between her ears and waiting until the viera was ready to speak. 

“We...think we know a way for me to get to...wherever the Scions have been taken. But we still have no idea where that place is, and I can only assume my body will go into a similar state as the rest of them...that scares me, Sadu. I...what if I never wake up?”

The xaela looked pensive as she met Vensylle’s gaze. “I do not like the idea of that either, but you’ve told me much of what you and your Scions have accomplished, and I’ve experienced their strength firsthand. I do not doubt that if you are all together you can figure anything out, including a way for you all to return home. And it’s either go or be stuck here unable to do anything, yes?”

She let out a deep breath, trying to relax as she stared back at Sadu. “You’re right as always, my love. I might not have much of a choice anyway...this voice, or person, keeps trying to call me away, the same way that all the others were. There’s every chance that I’ll eventually succumb too, even if I don’t want to go. I just...I’m scared of leaving you.” Her voice broke as she held back tears, clinging to her girlfriend. “Point me at any foe and I’ll take them down, but this? Seeing my friends drop almost lifeless in front of me, reduced to soulless husks, and having no choice but to follow through and accept that fate for myself as well? It makes me feel so, so powerless…”

Sadu drew in close once more, hugging Vensylle tightly. “You are never powerless, my stars, even if you may feel like it. You have to go to where your friends are, yes, but I do not doubt that you can have as much of an impact there as you’ve had anywhere else that you’ve tread. You have the power to do anything that you set your mind to - I know this to be true, and so should you.”

Vensylle returned the hug, taking a few moments to compose herself as she clung to Sadu, eventually drawing back to show her a weak smile. “I suppose that -is- true. It’s not like my ego needed any more stoking though.” Ven let out a quiet chuckle that quickly settled into affectionate silence as she sought out Sadu’s hand, squeezing it tightly as she stared into the xaela’s cerulean eyes. “You always know just what to say, my flame...I’ll make the journey tomorrow then, wherever it may lead. But, if I can be selfish...would you spend the morning with me, before I leave?”

Sadu leaned in close...and let her sharp teeth nip in against Vensylle’s neck, causing the viera to flinch, but not recoil. She was used to it. “You’re so silly sometimes, my light. I can hardly let the Warrior of Light leave for unknown lands before she’s well rested.”


	3. A Moonlit Duel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vensylle and Sadu venture out into the Nhaama Desert for a gay little sparring match

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok this one is mostly homosexual combat, cw for burning and blood

Dotharl Khaa surrounds an oasis on the edge of the Nhaama Desert, with soft grass giving way to dry sand mere yalms to the west of the camp. The scorching sun saps the strength of most in a matter of hours, and then the numerous scavengers of the desert finish you off. It is for precisely these reasons that Vensylle and Sadu frequently chose the edge of the wastes for their sparring matches. Vensylle didn’t often have time to visit the Steppe, but the couple had made a habit of testing their skill against one another whenever she did happen to make it out there. Their fights were ferocious and explosive, as was befitting of a khatun and the khagan of the Steppe, and crowds of xaela from all different tribes would amass to watch the spectacle when the pair fought in the more habitable sections of the steppe. The throngs of au ra had grown to be an annoyance for the couple, and so more recently they had resolved to sneak out of Dotharl Khaa under cover of night, and venture far enough into the desert that they were unlikely to be seen or heard. 

Sand crunched under the feet of the two women as they made their way out into the desert, the moon bright and high in the sky. A small smile spread across Vensylle’s face as she eventually stopped and turned towards Sadu. “This should be far enough, no?”

The xaela nodded, shrugging her toned shoulders and stretching her arms out in preparation for the bout. She grinned back up at the viera. “I hope saving the world all the time is sufficient to keep your skills sharp, starlight. Else I might be the one carrying you back tonight.” She unslung her staff from her back, the orb embedded near its tip alighting in a soft blue glow. 

“I would like to say that I wouldn’t mind losing to you in the slightest, my flame, but I’d be lying to say my pride wouldn’t take a sting.” Vensylle grinned, drawing a massive zweihander from her back, crafted to accommodate her towering height. Sadu just flashed her pointed teeth in Ven’s direction before turning her back to her. 

She stepped away a dozen paces before suddenly turning and pointing her staff in the viera’s direction. Vensylle barely had time to dive out of the way as a fiery explosion ignited the air where she had stood just a moment before. Sadu always started without warning. The viera rolled to her feet, facing down her girlfriend’s taunting grin as she charged towards her, closing the distance swiftly. The sound of sand crunching beneath her boots and the xaela’s chanting filled her ears. She thrust her weapon toward Sadu’s staff, seeking to disarm her. She was almost two feet taller than the au ra, with her sword matching her height, so she had a good deal of reach on her lover. The khatun easily danced aside without breaking the chant of her spell, and Vensylle had a moment to feel the humid air grow stiflingly hot around her body before she was engulfed in a column of flame.

“Hah! I thought you were faster than that, khagan,” Sadu taunted, her tail swishing back and forth behind her as her voice took on an excited tone. Flames obscured the au ra’s view of Vensylle for only a moment before they dissipated, seemingly sucked away into small blood-red rifts in the air.

“Sometimes I don’t need-” Vensylle cut herself off as she noticed Sadu had vanished from view, the realisation coming too late as she felt the khatun’s fists slam against her side, knocking the breath from her. Sadu wielded spells of frightening potency, but she was no less formidable unarmed - a new skill that this Sadu had picked up, not one that she had possessed in a previous life. 

Vensylle accepted the first two blows before turning and lifting her sword up in time to block a vicious kick from the xaela, but she had no time to retaliate before she was struck again in the leg, forcing her down to one knee. It was obvious her giant sword wasn’t doing her any favours in close quarters, so she simply dropped it into the sand, rolling away and feeling a rush of wind as a kick flew over her head. The viera always came armed with more than just the one weapon, and she drew her gunblade from her back as she rolled to her feet. The khatun’s fist met the steel of Vensylle’s weapon as she whirled around to block one blow. Sadu backed off just enough to come around with a kick, and was met once again by the viera’s gunblade. They stood locked there for a second, breathing heavily and meeting each others’ gazes. Sadu was unscathed while the Warrior of Light bore some few burn marks, and no doubt already had a couple of bruises developing from the force of her girlfriend’s fists. “I might lose more quickly than I thought if I don’t get serious,” Vensylle remarked, grinning. 

“Perhaps you shouldn’t have given me so much practice with fighting up close then, o Warrior of Light,” the khatun mocked before Ven shoved her away with her gunblade.

Vensylle began to mutter an incantation of her own as she pressed the offensive, jabbing her gunblade forward in swift thrusts and slashes, never swinging wide enough to give the smaller woman a true opening. Sadu matched Ven’s chanting as she dodged or deflected each attack with her staff, though she did gain a few small cuts in the process. The two completed their spells near the exact same moment, locked in melee, both too stubborn to back away as the twin spells erupted and combined into a cacophonous explosion of flame. Sadu had been the one to teach Ven such potent spells in the first place, after all. The couple were thrown back in opposite directions, burnt and battered, yet neither stayed down for long. They knew each other’s limits, and they had not yet been reached. 

Vensylle was on her feet first, rushing towards Sadu, the khatun being forced to block a downwards blow from the viera’s gunblade with her staff. She pushed Ven away momentarily and jumped to her feet, but failed to dodge in time as the gunblade slipped past her, carving a line of crimson across the side of her midsection. Ven grinned, pressing the xaela hard, not granting her enough time or focus to begin casting again. Sadu gained several more cuts across her body before she managed to catch one of Ven’s strikes with her staff again, springing forward before her girlfriend could back away. The xaela delivered a flurry of kicks and punches against Ven’s abdomen, causing her to stagger from the force of the impacts. Sadu used the opening to clap her hands together, channeling her aether for another spell.

Twin rectangular constructs of stone rose out of the sand on either side of the khatun, moving to block the path between her and Vensylle. Sadu’s impassioned chanting sounded from behind the summoned creatures as she worked up to her most devastating spell. Vensylle quickly loaded an enchanted shell into her gunblade, firing it off at the constructs before she charged towards them. The explosive round detonated against their stony exterior, sending chunks of rock flying before she carved into the creatures.. They were never meant to be a true challenge for her, but she couldn’t get close to Sadu without dealing with them first.

They toppled over against her onslaught before long - but too late she realised as the sky above her grew dark, a great fiery comet swiftly falling towards her head. She sprinted away as fast as she could, slashing her gunblade through the air at the same time, a rip in the very air seeming to form as the abyss poured forth in shades of black and red, swirling and surrounding her like a barrier until she could no longer be seen. The comet struck the ground with a blinding flash, fire and earth exploding against Vensylle’s barrier with frightening force, leaving a blackened crater in the sand where it had impacted. Some small bits of debris reached Sadu too, but she ignored the stings against her skin, watching the barrier closely. There was no movement from within. She ventured closer, the spell surrounding Vensylle fading a moment later. She was laying on the sand, bloodied and battered, unmoving...save for her lips. Sadu didn’t move in time as a blackened blade cut across her legs first, then her hands, forcing her to her knees and causing her to drop her staff before the floating blade came to rest against her neck. She let out a bark of a laugh as Vensylle rose to her feet. “I did not think you one to resort to trickery like that, my stars, but I suppose this is why our fights are always so thrilling. One is never the same as the next...well fought.” 

Vensylle grabbed the blade out of the air as she reached Sadu before dropping it to the sand. They never dressed heavily before their bouts, knowing the kind of destruction they wrought on each other, but what clothing they were wearing was burnt or in tatters, even more so in Vensylle’s case. “And I’d hoped I’d never have to see you drop that comet on my head, but here we are.” She slumped to the ground beside the xaela, breathing heavily as she looked over Sadu’s wounds. None of the cuts she had inflicted were deep, but they were numerous, and that was ignoring the burns. Sadu licked some blood off her lips before leaning over to kiss the viera’s cheek.

“Use whatever aether you’ve got left to heal yourself, oh warrior of warriors. You might have won, but I dare say I left more of a mark on you. As is my wont.” She tapped a finger against a prominent bite mark near Ven’s collarbone, left days earlier.  
Ven snickered but didn’t argue, and a green glow enveloped her girlfriend a moment later, beginning to heal the worst of her burns. Sadu leaned lightly against the viera, giving a fond smile up at her. “I trust you can get your scion friends to heal the rest later? And don’t worry about me - you didn’t leave any marks that won’t heal with time.”

“Mm...I wasn’t worried. Like you said, you leave enough of a mark on me, and I know you’re kind of into it anyways.”

Sadu chuckled as she gazed out into the darkness of the desert. “Only when it’s coming from you, my stars...we should get moving before the gulo gulo get our scent.”

Ven sighed, glancing out into the darkness before unceremoniously scooping Sadu up in her arms and climbing to her feet. “I suppose so. If it’s not hordes of curious xaela, it’s vicious wildlife instead. I think we’d have to leave the Steppe entirely to have a truly private duel.” Sadu didn’t protest as the viera began trudging back towards Dotharl Khaa with her in her arms - there was no one around to see them after all, and their relationship was hardly a secret either.

“Perhaps we should take a trip then. Someone’s going to come out here and see all the scorch marks we’ve left sooner or later and figure it out. My clan can fend for themselves for a time if I were to leave - they’re far from helpless without me.”

Vensylle couldn’t help but let out a laugh. “I did think about taking you to meet the other scions a while ago, but they’re rather too different from you for most of them to get along with you. A lot of them are scholars, to varying degrees, and I’d rather head somewhere with just the two of us in any case.”

Sadu nestled in close against Ven, wrapping her tail around the viera’s back and nuzzling one of her horns against her. “The Ruby Sea’s warm this time of year - I’ve never had the chance for an extended visit myself, but it’s somewhere I’ve wanted to spend time for a while. Especially since I met you.”

Ven smiled down at Sadu, the au ra just barely able to make the expression out through the dark of night. “I’ve never spent much time by the sea actually...that sounds lovely. We’ll be sure to go the next time I can come see you.”

The couple walked the rest of the way in silence, Sadu almost nodding off as she rested in Ven’s arms. The moon was near its zenith when they returned to Dotharl Khaa, the sentries of the Dotharl familiar enough with their silhouettes not to stop them. Ven carried Sadu into her yurt and gently placed her upon her bedroll before laying down beside her. She smiled, listening to her girlfriend’s rhythmic breathing until her own eyelids grew heavy, lulling her towards her own rest. It had been a good fight, and a good night besides.


End file.
